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Season 2 – The Hour

Play trailer Poster for Season 2 – The Hour Nov 2012 Drama Romance Play Trailer Watchlist
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82% Tomatometer 28 Reviews 87% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
This series, set in a BBC newsroom in the 1950s, features renegade journalist Freddie, ambitious producer Bel and handsome anchor Hector as they create an investigative newsmagazine show called "The Hour." But tensions rise between the three when they become embroiled in a passionate love triangle. The show plays out against the backdrop of a mysterious murder and Freddie's controversial and dangerous investigation. The series explores the decade on the threshold of change, from the ruthless sexual politics of the time to the revelations that redefined the world for a new generation.
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The Hour — Season 2

The Hour — Season 2

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Critics Consensus

It may move a little slowly for some, but The Hour's second season offers stylish, well-written, and well-acted drama.

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Critics Reviews

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Ben Lawrence Daily Telegraph (UK) The Hour remains tautly structured and with just the right balance between necessary period cliché and fun facts. Rated: 3.5/5 Jan 17, 2019 Full Review Emily Nussbaum The New Yorker Workplace love triangles may be as conventional on TV as conspiracies, but, when the chemistry is this strong, I'm all in. Jan 17, 2019 Full Review Caroline Crampton New Statesman The Hour specialises in creeping realisations and barely-seen glances that flick to and fro, while the discussion of important social issues gets scribbled in the margins of a densley-written script. Jan 17, 2019 Full Review Adam Sweeting The Arts Desk Despite its superficial attention to 1950s detail (suits, hats, frocks, cars), the more The Hour tries to feel authentic, the less convincing it becomes. Jan 17, 2019 Full Review Matt Roush TV Guide Abi Morgan spins a dazzling tale with the help of a glamorous cast. Jan 17, 2019 Full Review Anthony Morris The Big Issue (Australia) It's a step up from the first series; fingers crossed there's a third. Rated: 4/5 Aug 15, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Karen S wow, stumbled across this series on Netflix and it is by far the most amazing and truly fantastic series. it is a must watch!!! such a great cast and story lines. can't believe it's not going to be on anymore 🫤i Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/15/25 Full Review Steve L Just watched this It was brilliant and still relevant Newsroom was never as gritty even though made many years later What a shame that it is relatively unknown A superb piece of British filmmaking Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/25 Full Review Finn H Still brilliant. So sad it's not coming back. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 12/10/24 Full Review Deanne P Oh my goodness. I can't believe this series is 12 years old. I am absolutely gutted to discover that I have just been glued to the screen watching a genuinely well-thought-out and well-acted drama that has left me on the most enormous cliffhanger with no hope of an ending. The first serious was such a refreshing change. It's set in the 1950s in the midst of the cold war with journalists at the BBC and a Russian mole. It demanded thought, concentration, an awareness of history and a level of concentration that is all too lacking in current day shows. I couldn't leave it alone and I would thoroughly recommend both series. Obviously, you have to be set up for the disappointment that is getting to the end of series 2 and know that the issues you've been watching so avidly won't be resolved. However, don't let this put you off! Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/21/24 Full Review C J I just started this series the other week. Then I saw it was cancelled after the 2 season. And we were left with the WORST cliffhanger (other than Who Shot JR in the 1970s) and absolutely no resolution. I had read that it was cancelled due to low viewership having only lost about 20k in viewers from season 1 to 2. I was gutted even though this was a 2011-2012 TV series. It is worth a watch even with the gut wrenching cliffhanger. I grew to really like Freddie, too. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 06/24/24 Full Review Audience Member Good British series. It's a shame it only had two seasons. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Hour — Season 2

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Cast & Crew

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Ben Whishaw

Freddie Lyon

Romola Garai

Bel Rowley

Dominic West

Hector Madden

Anton Lesser

Clarence Fendley

Julian Rhind-Tutt

Angus McCain

Anna Chancellor

Lix Storm

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Nov 14, 2012 Welcome Back Nuclear hysteria grows; Bel thinks the increased crime is a story; Hector's decision draws him deeper into El Paradis. Details Episode 2 Aired Nov 21, 2012 Fascists and False Accusations Hector's drunken late nights catch up with him when he is arrested on suspicion of beating up Kiki; Bel tries to clear Hector's name and hide his disappearance from Randall; Freddie decides to hold a controversial interview with a fascist. Details Episode 3 Aired Nov 28, 2012 Vice Kiki has gone missing and Hector's self-destructive behavior spirals out of control; Bel and Freddie search for the truth about what happened to Kiki; Randall tells Lix the real reason for his return. Details Episode 4 Aired Dec 5, 2012 Honey Trap Bel and Freddie pitch the exposure of Cilenti's vice network and police collusion; photos of a NATO summit reveal a connection. Details Episode 5 Aired Dec 12, 2012 Reckless to the Core Bel is shaken by news of a source's murder and tries to put a stop to the team's pursuit of Cilenti; Freddie and Hector discover the depths that the corruption has reached, leading to chaos at the club. Details Episode 6 Aired Dec 13, 2012 Fallout Bel, Freddie and Hector are on the verge of breaking a huge corruption expose; things get complicated when one of them becomes the center of a tabloid sex scandal. Details

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The Hour — Season 2

The Hour The Hour The Hour View more photos

Season Info

Director
Sandra Goldbacher
Executive Producer
Jane Featherstone, Derek Wax, Abi Morgan, Lucy Richer
Screenwriter
Abi Morgan
Network
BBC
Genre
Drama, Romance
Original Language
British English
Release Date
Nov 14, 2012